It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
